The Coordinators
by SilverstartheWaterbender
Summary: Sequel to The Outcasts. Lazula begins her quest to become a Top Coordinator. Along the way she meets new friends, both human and Pokemon, while also looking for her closest friend...MewtwoxOc. Onesided HarleyxOc in later chapters.
1. Memories

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Whassup, people? Okay, I've got for you the long-awaited sequel to The Outcasts. Now, Lazula begins her journey to become the Top Coordinator, meeting friends, rivals, and maybe, just maybe, she'll see Mewtwo again…Word of Warning: there _will _be many original chapters, but mostly, Lazula and Sora will enter into some episodes. Oh, and for those who don't watch the anime, by "remarkable," I was talking about Sukizo, one of the judges, who uses the word "remarkable in every one of his lines!

Disclaimer: I only own Lazula. There will be mentions of Sora Kumari, who belongs to Wolfen-Ways.

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Chapter One: Memories

Thirteen-year-old Lazula Hamilton walked out of the Pokemon Center and stared out in the early morning sun. Her blue eyes shone with excitement. Today was the day that she would begin her journey, that she would be free of Crystal Point forever. Lazula smiled guiltily. She had tried twice to make the journey a year ago, but the first time, she missed the bus. However, as it turned out, it turned out to be a very good thing that she had. The second time, Lazula _had_ caught the bus, but once she got off, she realized that she wasn't ready. She had no idea where to go or what to do. So, she doubled back and hitched a ride from a friendly cabdriver back to Crystal Point. Since then, she lay low from the townspeople. Lazula rubbed her leg, as she always did when she thought of her town. There was really no need, as the scar she had gotten three years ago was gone. Still, old habits die hard.

Lazula's foster mother, Nurse Joy, poked her head outside and called, "Lazula, come back inside! I have a surprise for you!" Lazula turned around and walked back to the Pokemon Center. Her foster mom was fixing a lunch for her for the bus. "Look on your bed, dear," she said, smiling. Lazula smiled and walked into a medium-sized room that adjoined the lobby: her bedroom. The room was neat and comforting. The bed was neatly made, and all the shelves had been dusted. Lazula frowned. It already looked like no one lived in this room. A loud snore jerked her out of her thoughts. Her friend and partner, Flaaffy, was still asleep in her bed. Flaaffy's energy levels were a little out of wack, since she had only just evolved. Lazula smiled and walked over to her. "Hey, Flaaffy," she said softly in her friend's language, "get up. It's almost time to go." Flaaffy sighed and opened her eyes. "Morning, Lazula!" she said, getting up. "So, are you gonna tell me what we're doing on our journey?" she asked, stretching. Lazula grinned. "Well, first we're going to Olivine City to catch a ferry to Hoenn --" "Yeah, I got that part," Flaaffy interrupted, rolling her eyes. "And then, we'll see about registering for a Contest pass." Flaaffy's jaw dropped. "No way!" "Way." Flaaffy cheered and started jumping up and down happily. Flaaffy had recently become obsessed with Pokemon Contests; she was always watching them on TV. Lazula, although she didn't show it, loved them too, and would love to be a coordinator. She thought Flaaffy had real potential.

After a few minutes of jumping around happily, Lazula noticed two boxes on her bed. She opened the first one. It contained a large, yellow shoulder bag. Lazula grabbed a few things at random from her room, tossed them in the bag, and put it over her shoulder. It was very easy on her shoulder, unlike her old backpack. "Nice," Flaaffy said. "Open the next one." Lazula opened the other box and gasped. It was a whole new wardrobe. A red skirt, a blue sleeveless shirt with a black and collar, a black belt, blue socks, and white sneakers (with a wide red stripe across the middle off each shoe) were all neatly packed into the box. A hat sat on the very top. It was white, with a thin red line above the brim. A red arch was connected to the line. **(1) **"Wow, Joy," Lazula whispered. Flaaffy whistled in appreciation. "Cool. Go try'em on!" A quick changing later, Lazula pulled the bag over her shoulder and stared in the mirror. "How do I look?" she asked Flaaffy, turning around. Flaaffy nodded. "Like a real traveler." Lazula nodded and turned back to the mirror. "I thought so, too." Suddenly, a thought struck her. _"What would Mewtwo think of me wearing this?" _she wondered. Tears formed as she remembered the Pokemon whose life she saved – and who had given her confidence. "Thinking about Mewtwo again?" Flaaffy asked. Lazula nodded and wiped her eyes. Flaaffy hugged her legs. "Don't worry, I'm sure that he's safe…and that he misses you." Lazula smiled. Against her better judgment, she had gotten a little _too _fond of Mewtwo. She pushed thoughts of him out of her mind and said to Flaaffy, "C'mon, I'm starved."

Two hours, four pancakes, and one tearful good-bye later, Lazula and Flaaffy found themselves waiting at the Purity Canyon bus stop. Lazula stared up at Mt. Queyna, remembering how the events that occurred there changed her life forever. "Bus!" Flaaffy shouted. Sure enough, Emma's bus was coming around the side of the mountain. "Hi, Lazula," Emma said as they got on. "Ready to go?" "As ready as I'll ever be," she said sadly, vaguely noticing she and Flaaffy were the only passengers. "Homesick already?" Emma asked as the bus started. Lazula shook her head; she would never miss the torture she had been put through for a decade. She was upset because she knew if Mewtwo ever went looking for her, Mt. Queyna would be the first place he'd look. _"Mewtwo?" _she thought, hoping he could hear. _"Please answer! Show me that you're with me!" _ But of course, there was no answer.

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**(1) **For those of you that have played FR/LG, Lazula is the female character, only with blue eyes instead of brown. As such, I don't own her outfit.

Silverstar: Admittedly not one of my better chapters. R&R anyway!


	2. Reunion

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Hey, people! Here's Chapter 2! Plus, it brings back an old friend: SORA KUMARI! Enjoy!

**Wolfen-Ways: **Thanks for reviewing! I'll make Sora's dad named Jake, OK?

**Medabot Freak: **Glad that you were looking forward to this! Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I only own Lazula.

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Chapter Two: Reunion

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the S.S. Aqua," the speaker boomed. "This ship is the fastest in Johto, so if all goes well, we'll be in Littleroot Town at nine o'clock tomorrow." _"Good," _thought Lazula. _"Plenty of time to chill." _ The journey to Olivine City had taken a day and a half, and they had only just made it onto the ship. Now, both Lazula and Flaaffy were planning to relax and research the Contest world.

A knock on the cabin door jerked her out of her thoughts. "Who could that be?" she asked Flaaffy, who shrugged. Lazula opened the door and gasped. Standing there, with a huge grin on his face, was a fourteen-year-old boy. He had ebony hair, and his sapphire eyes were the spitting image of Lazula's. He wore jeans, a white T-shirt, a red-and-black vest, brown combat boots, and a black cowboy hat. "Oh, my God," whispered Lazula. "Sora!" "Hiya, cuz!" Sora said, throwing his arms around her. "Look at you! You're shooting up like a Bellsprout!" "Which is the pot calling the kettle black," Lazula replied. It was true; both had grown considerably. "Whoa," Sora said, spotting Flaaffy. "I didn't know you evolved!" "It was only a few days ago," Flaaffy explained, hugging her Trainer's cousin.

"So, what are you doing here?" Lazula asked. Sora turned back to her. "I decided to travel around with you for a while. You know, just to make sure you're okay." "No need," Lazula replied, "but I'm seriously glad you're coming!" She frowned slightly. "But what about Entei? And your dad? You won't find either of them traveling around with me." Sora smiled. "I found him!" Lazula hugged him. "Awesome, cuz! But, uh…which him?" "Both," Sora answered. "Huh?" "You found both of them?" Flaaffy asked. Sora nodded. "Yup. As it turns out, my dad somehow got turned into Entei!" "Whoa," Lazula murmured. "So, where's Uncle Jake now?" "He's back with my mom – Aunt Trisha to you – in New Bark Town. Professor Elm's gonna see if he could do anything to help."

Before Lazula could comment, she heard a soft whimper. Looking around Sora, she saw a young Growlithe hiding behind him. "Awww, how cute!" she crooned, and the Growlithe wagged his tail and smiled. "Yeah," Sora told her. "You know my mom's Growlithe, right? This is her son." "Hi," Growlithe said shyly. "Hey, I'm Lazula, Sora's cousin." "He told me a little about you," Growlithe said, walking over to her. Lazula scratched him behind the ears and asked Sora, "Who was his dad?" Sora shrugged. "I dunno. Some wild Pokemon." He dropped his voice and added, "This guy knows all about…you know." "You mean Mewtwo?" Growlithe whispered. His jaw dropped, and he covered his mouth with his paws. Lazula stared at her cousin. "Sora…how could you? You promised! Who else did you tell?" "Nobody, honest!" Sora said, holding his hands up like he'd been caught. "I'm really sorry. Look, why don't I make it up to you?" He smiled slyly. "How's about I give you that Growlithe?" Lazula's jaw dropped. "You aren't serious!" "I am." Sora fished out a Pokeball. "Here's his Pokeball." "Sora, you're awesome!" Lazula said, hugging him. She turned back to Growlithe and asked, "Would you like to travel around with me, little guy?" Growlithe nodded and licked her face. "Great!" Lazula exclaimed.

"So," Sora asked while Growlithe and Flaaffy got to know each other. "Have you seen any more of Mewtwo?" Lazula shook her head sadly. "Neither have I," Sora said slowly, "but last night I had a weird dream." "What kind of dream?" Lazula asked. "Well, I was standing back in the cave in Mt. Queyna. You know, with the lake and spring. And then I saw this shadow. It didn't look like Mewtwo, but I couldn't be sure. So then, I heard this voice say, 'Protect her.' And then I woke up." Sora shrugged. "I have no idea what to make of it." "Neither do I," Lazula admitted. Sora said good-bye and left, leaving Lazula alone with her Pokemon. _"If it wasn't Mewtwo," _Lazula thought, _"then who wants me safe? And if it was Mewtwo, why didn't Sora recognize him? What's going on?" _

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Silverstar: Well, Sora's back now, and he's got some new info. Was it Mewtwo? If it wasn't, who was it? Stick around and see! R&R!


	3. Battle!

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Here we go – Chapter 3! Thanks to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers!

**Wolfen-Ways: **Yep, he's back, and he's here to stay.Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **Don't worry, we'll find out who that guy is later in the story. How much later, I can't say. Thanks for reviewing!

**Gaara's Pyro RACCOON: **You aren't the only one! Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks! I'm glad you like them! Thanks for reviewing!

**jemstones are my friends: **Oooooh, I feel so loved! Thank you so much! I'm glad that you love my work so much! Thanks for reviewing and for the e-mail too!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon…

Flaaffy: Or Sora Kumari, who belongs to Wolfen-Ways.

Silverstar: What the – when did you get here?

Flaaffy: Just a minute ago.

Silverstar: I was saying the disclaimer!

Flaaffy: You never let me say it in The Outcasts!

Silverstar: That's cause you can't speak English!

Flaaffy: Can too!

Silverstar: Can not! _(This goes on for several minutes)_

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Chapter Three: Battle!

Lazula stepped off the boat, Sora and Flaaffy behind her. _"So," _she thought, looking around at Littleroot Town, _"this is Hoenn. Looks a lot more promising than Johto." _Patting her belt to make sure Growlithe (in his Pokeball, of course) was still there, she walked towards the Tourist Center. "How do they have a Tourist Center in a dinky little town like this?" Flaaffy scoffed. Lazula glared at her, but she secretly agreed; the town was pretty small. Remembering that her cousin had gotten his starter, Mudkip, here, Lazula turned to Sora and asked, "So, where's the Pokemon Center?" Sora shook his head. "They don't have one. If you want to heal a Pokemon, you gotta go to Professor Birch's lab." He peered over Lazula's shoulder and smiled. "Speak of the devil here he comes now!"

Lazula turned around and saw a green jeep rolling towards them at at_ least_ Mach 2. Lazula grabbed Flaaffy and leapt out of the way, Sora behind them. The jeep stopped and Lazula saw a man staring at them sheepishly. He had brown hair and a beard, and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a lab coat over a dark blue shirt and brown shorts. "Are you guys okay?" he asked. "Yeah, we're fine," Lazula replied, letting go of Flaaffy. Sora grinned at him. "Hey, Professor Birch! Long time no see!" "It certainly has been a while, Sora," the man – Professor Birch – answered. He turned to Lazula. "And who is this?" he smiled slyly. "Perhaps a very _special_ friend?" Sora stared at him, and Lazula said disgustedly, "I'm his _cousin_, not his _girlfriend_. I'm Lazula, and this is Flaaffy." Prof. Birch winced. "Sorry. Now that you mention it, Lazula, I do see a family resemblance. Nice to meet you." "So, Professor," Sora asked, "what are you doing here?" Prof. Birch turned back to him and said, "Your mother called and said you were coming. I thought you might need somewhere to sleep tonight." "That's nice of you," Lazula said. The three got into the car and drove off.

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A few hours later, Lazula stood outside Prof. Birch's lab, in his training field. Flaaffy was talking to an energetic Treecko, while a shy-looking Mudkip watched. Lazula didn't see a Torchic; she guessed a new Trainer had chosen it as their starter. **(1)** She pulled out Growlithe's Pokeball and tossed it into the air. Growlithe popped out and said, "Hi, Lazula! Are we gonna train for a Contest?" "No," Lazula answered. "Before we can do that, we need to know your attacks. Show me what you can do!" Growlithe nodded. He started by launching a barrage of small flames from his mouth into the air. _"Ember," _Lazula thought. Growlithe then charged quickly toward the opposite end of the training field. _"That was Take Down," _Lazula noted. Growlithe spied a stick lying on the ground. He bit it in half, growling. _"Bite," _Lazula thought. Growlithe then ferociously started digging underground. Within seconds, he had disappeared. "Nice Dig attack!" Lazula called, and Growlithe reemerged, shaking dirt from his pelt.

"Nice work." Lazula turned around and saw Sora walking towards her, his Magmar following. "Yeah," Lazula answered, patting Growlithe on the head, "I see a lot of potential." "I was just wondering," Sora said thoughtfully. "If you're gonna be a coordinator, you're gonna face all sorts of tough Trainers. Why don't you have a warm-up? Let's battle!" "Fine by me!" Lazula answered. "Are you ready, Flaaffy?" "Duh!" Flaaffy called, and raced over. The two Trainers walked to the opposite ends of the training field. "I'll start," Lazula said. "Flaaffy, use Thunderbolt!" Flaaffy's entire body glowed and sparkled with electricity as she shot a Thunderbolt at Magmar. "Dodge it!" Sora ordered, and Magmar leapt out of the way. "Now, use Flamethrower!" An enormous burst of fire shot out of Magmar's mouth.

But Lazula thought ahead. "Light Screen, Flaaffy!" Flaaffy stuck out her hands, and a glowing, pink, rectangular energy field materialized in front of her, shielding her from the fire. "Now Iron Tail!" Lazula shouted. Flaaffy's tail glowed as she swung it around and hit Magmar in the stomach. "Shake it off, Magmar!" Sora called. "Use Smokescreen!" Smoke shot out of Magmar's mouth, completely enveloping Flaaffy, who coughed and covered her nose and mouth. "Fire Punch!" Sora shouted. Magmar's flaming fist shot threw the smoke and hit Flaaffy's cheek. Flaaffy was thrown backwards. "Flaaffy!" Lazula shouted in horror. "Finish it with Flamethrower!" Sora called, and the flames enveloped Flaaffy. When the fire cleared, Flaaffy had fainted.

"FLAAFFY!" Lazula shouted again, and raced over. Picking her friend up, she asked, "Are you okay?" "I'm okay," Flaaffy said weakly. "Magmar's got nothing on Domino's Black Tulip." "Nice match," Sora said, recalling Magmar. "We gotta do it again sometime." "Maybe," Lazula said, and they walked in, Growlithe, Treecko, and Mudkip following.

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Lazula's eyes snapped open. _"Where am I?" _she thought. She seemed to be floating in some dark, warm air. _"I guess I'm dreaming," _she decided. "Lazula," a voice murmured behind her. She whipped around but saw no one. "Who's there?" she called. "Show yourself!" "I cannot do that, Lazula," the voice replied. "You are not ready. But I will, when the time is right." "You…you came to my cousin in his dream!" Lazula realized. "Yes. He was closer to my location than you were." The voice paused before continuing. "Lazula, I am here to tell you that the one you seek will be with you for eternity." "You mean Mewtwo?" Lazula called. "Where is he? How do you know him? _And who the hell are you?_" But the voice was silent.

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**(1)**Hmmm, I _wonder _who took Torchic.

Silverstar: Ooooooh, things are getting intense! I'll update as soon as I can. R&R! Peace and love!


	4. The Official Beginning of the Journey

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Okay, this chapter will be sort of…not good, but it's important. Enjoy!

**Wolfen-Ways: **Mudkip was the starter, right? Yeah, I thought so. Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **Me too. Lucky Lazula. Thanks for reviewing!

**Imagine100perc: **I'm guessing that's a good thing. Thanks for reviewing!

**Gaara's Pyro RACCOON: **He's somewhere around here. _(checks in closet) _No, not there. He'll come later in the story. Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **WHO TOLD YOU? Just kidding. :) Read on to see who Lazula gets. Thanks for reviewing!

**jemstones are my friends: **You're so sweet! But I bet lots of people consider themselves my number-one fan…okay, maybe at least a big fan. Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I only own Lazula.

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Chapter Four: The _Official_ Beginning of the Journey

"C'mon, Treecko, you can do it! Use Bullet Seed!" Prof. Birch's Treecko sucked in his breath and tried to shoot seeds out of his mouth; he was unsuccessful. "It's no use," he said dejectedly, turning to Lazula. "I'm not strong enough for that kind of move." Lazula frowned. "Don't talk like that; it means you've already given up. You gotta try again. You're so close!" "Okay," Treecko decided, "one more time." Treecko tried to use Bullet Seed once more, and this time, a multitude of golden seeds shot out of his mouth. He grinned and jumped up and down, yelling, "I did it! I did it!" "Way to go, Treecko!" Lazula shouted. "That was awesome!" Flaaffy said from the sidelines of the training field. "Yay, Treecko!" Growlithe added.

"What's all the noise about?" Sora asked as he walked out onto the field, Prof. Birch following. Lazula replied, "I was just teaching Treecko how to use Bullet Seed. Show'em, buddy." Treecko nodded, tilted his head up, and shot scores of seeds into the air, creating a sort of fountain. "Cool!" Sora said. "Yeah," Lazula agreed. "I was thinking that the stronger he got, the more likely he would be chosen by a new Trainer." In truth, Lazula _did _want her new friend to get stronger, but the real reason for training him was to keep her mind off her confusing dream of the night before. "Well," Prof. Birch said thoughtfully, "a new Trainer won't come in for some time now." He smiled. "That last Bullet Seed looked like it would be a great Contest appeal. And you and Treecko look like you've become great friends." Lazula's eyes widened. "Professor, you don't mean –" Prof. Birch pressed a Pokeball into her hands. "He's all yours," "Thank you, Professor!" she squealed, and Treecko leapt happily into her arms. "All right!" he cheered. "Lazula's gonna be my Trainer! I'll train as hard as I can, I promise!" "I'll hold you to that," Lazula said, hugging him. **(1) **

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Lazula shielded her eyes from the setting sun and grinned. "Hey, you guys!" she called back to Sora and Flaaffy. "I can see Oldale Town!" "Great!" Sora answered. "If we hurry, we can make it there by dark." The three raced off towards the town. They had been traveling all day, and were looking forward to a good night's sleep.

Later, Lazula, Sora, ant their Pokemon were all enjoying supper at the Pokemon Center. Suddenly, Nurse Joy walked up to them. "Excuse me," she said to Lazula, "you're Lazula, aren't you?" "That's me," Lazula answered. Nurse Joy handed her a package. "My cousin in Johto sent you this," she said, and walked off. "Who's it from?" Sora asked, reaching for the salt. "Nurse Joy," Lazula said, opening the package. "Yeah, I got that," Sora said, rolling his eyes. "I was hoping for something a little more specific." "My foster mom," Lazula clarified. She opened an envelope and read the letter she had been sent.

_Dear Lazula,_

_Here are a few things that might help you on your journey. Remember, I'm always cheering for you! Don't give up!_

_Love,_

_Nurse Joy_

Lazula gave the note to Flaaffy to read and peered back inside the box. She pulled out a sort of odd yellow contraption. Sora whistled. "Your mom sent you a Pokenav!" "What's a Pokenav?" Lazula asked, pressing a button. Instantly, the top folded back and a small screen folded up from the machine. "Devon Corp's newest creation," Sora said, as his cousin pressed the _On_ button. "It has three functions. The first one has maps of Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto." Lazula pressed the _Map_ button and a map of Hoenn flickered onto the screen. "The next one's the Match Call system," Sora continued. "It holds the names and phone numbers of registered Trainers." Lazula checked it out, noting the fact that her foster mother had already registered. "The last one's the Condition system," Sora finished, taking the Pokenav. "Once it scans your Pokemon, you can look up how many Pokeblocks they ate and what kind they were." He pointed the beam at Flaaffy, Growlithe, and Treecko, and a bright beam engulfed them. When it faded, Sora handed the Pokenav back to Lazula, showing her that her Pokemon had been registered. "One problem," she said, turning off the Pokenav, "You can't store Pokeblocks unless you have a Pokeblock case, which I don't." "Yeah you do," Flaaffy told her, pulling out the second item. It was a small, light-blue stick, with a Pokeball-shaped decoration on it. "Awesome!" Lazula said, taking the case. "Thanks to Joy, I've got everything I need to be a Coordinator!"

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The next morning, Sora went to buy supplies from the Pokemart, and Lazula and Flaaffy worked on their appeal. "Let's try one more time," Lazula said. "Light Screen!" This time, instead of making the Light Screen in front of her, Flaaffy put it directly above her. "Now stand on it!" Lazula ordered. Flaaffy leapt up onto the screen; it held for five seconds before breaking, sending Flaaffy crashing to the ground. "That's okay," Lazula encouraged, making sure Flaaffy was unharmed. "We'll keep practicing." Flaaffy nodded, and said softly, "Lazula, I don't think I'll be able to do this without a _lot _more practicing. Maybe I shouldn't enter a Contest until I get it right." "That might be a good idea," Lazula said thoughtfully.

"No luck?" Sora asked, walking up to her. Lazula shook her head. "Flaaffy thinks she should master this before entering a Contest." "I think so too," Sora agreed. "Hey, listen, at the Pokemart, I found out there's going to be a Contest just outside of Rustboro City." "Really?" Lazula asked excitedly. "Yeah. It'll be in about a week. If we hurry, we'll make it." "Then let's go!" Lazula exclaimed. "I do _not _wanna miss this!"

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**(1) **In English, of course. Can't have Prof. Birch knowing!

Silverstar: Hope you enjoyed that! The next chapter will be the first episode chapter, so look forward to that! R&R!


	5. All Things Bright and Beautifly Part 1

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Here's Chapter 5! Sorry about the wait, people, busy, busy. I cut this in half to reduce the wait time. You guys might hate me for this, but I am now going to add my second OC, Marilyn. And, a few more old friends come back. Enjoy!

_**Warning: Since this episode aired all the way back in Season 6, some events and almost all of the lines will be wrong. Oh well.**_

**Wolfen-Ways: **Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **Awww, thank you so much! It's always great to get reviews like that. Thanks for reviewing!

**jemstones are my friends: **Awww, you're just saying that! Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **She'll reunite with Ash and co. in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Sora Kumari. I _do _own Lazula and Marilyn.

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Chapter Five: All Things Bright and Beautifly (Part 1)

A week later, Lazula, Flaaffy, and Sora found themselves walking through a beautiful field on a path lined with roses. "Think this is the place?" Sora asked. "Um, Sora?" Lazula said, pointing to a large building. It had a huge banner with the words "Pokemon Contest" on it. Sora sweatdropped. "Yeah," he said weakly, "this is the place." Lazula and Flaaffy fell over anime style. "Never mind that," Flaaffy said. "We need to go register." Lazula agreed and the group walked inside the building. Lazula walked over to the woman at the counter. "Excuse me," she said, "I'd like to enter this Contest, please." "Of course," the woman said, smiling. "May I see your Contest Pass?" Lazula stared blankly at her. "My what?" "Oh, this is your first Contest, isn't it?" the woman asked. "In that case, you'll need to answer a few questions." Lazula told the woman her name, age, and address. Once finished, the woman scanned a light-green card and handed it to Lazula. "Which Pokemon are you entering?" the woman asked. Lazula smiled, remembering the intense practice sessions of the past week. "I'll enter my Growlithe." The woman wrote something down and said, "You're all set. You'll be entry number 29. You're very lucky," she added. "There are only a few open slots left. Good luck!"

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A few minutes later, Lazula walked a little ways away from the building, Flaaffy and Sora following. "C'mon out, Growlithe!" she called, tossing a Pokeball into the air. Growlithe popped out and did a little back flip. "Nice!" Lazula said. "Did you learn that all by yourself?" "Yeah," Growlithe said happily. "Should I practice my new move?" "Yeah, why not? Use Flamethrower!" Growlithe opened his mouth, but before he could breathe fire, several enormous rocks flew **(1)** their way. "Look out!" Lazula screamed. Everyone ran out of the way, as the rocks crash-landed where they had been moments before. "Everyone okay?" Sora asked. "Define 'okay.'" Flaaffy growled. Lazula scrambled to her feet in time to see a girl running towards them, a Togetic flying at her side. She had short, jet-black hair and forest-green eyes. She wore a light green T-shirt, tan shorts, and white sneakers. "Oh my God," she called out, "I'm _so _sorry! Are you all okay?" "Yeah, we're fine," Lazula said, walking over to the girl. "That was an Ancient Power, right?" The girl nodded. "I wanted to use it in my Contest appeal, but it's my first time in a Contest, so Togetic and I are really nervous." "I guess we just lost control," Togetic said softly to Flaaffy and Growlithe. Not wanting to reveal their gifts, Lazula and Sora ignored her. "This is my first Contest, too!" Lazula replied. "I'm Lazula Hamilton. Flaaffy and Growlithe are two of my partners. And this is my cousin, Sora Kumari." "I'm Marilyn Green, and this is Togetic," the girl introduced herself. "So, where are you from, Lazula? I'm from Littleroot Town." "I'm from Johto." Lazula answered evasively. Marilyn frowned. "Johto? That's a long way to come for Contests. Why did you --" She was interrupted by a loud scream. "What the hell was that?" Sora asked. "I dunno," Lazula said. "Well, let's go find out!" Marilyn said, and the six of them raced in the direction of the scream.

A few minutes later they found the source of the scream: a girl about three years younger than Lazula and Marilyn **(2)** was freaking out about having a Beautifly on her head. Three boys were standing by. One looked to be about eight years old, and had black hair, a green T-shirt, dark brown shorts, and glasses. The other two looked just like…"Ash! Brock!" Lazula called, and raced towards them. The two turned around, confused. When they saw Lazula and Sora, they grinned widely. "Lazula! Sora!" Ash called, and Brock said, "Well, what do you know? I never thought we'd see those two again!" "Long time no see!" Sora said once they'd all caught up. "Friends of yours?" Marilyn asked, and the girl with the Beautifly on her head asked, "Do you know these guys?" "This is Lazula and her cousin Sora," Ash explained. "We met them back in Johto. And that's – hey! Did Mareep evolve?" "Yeah, and that's my Growlithe, too. Oh, this is my new friend Marilyn." "I'm May," the girl with the Beautifly on her head told them. "This is my little brother Max." "Nice to meet you," Lazula said, and turned back to Ash. "Where's Misty?" "She went back to Cerulean City to run the Gym there." Brock motioned for her to come aside. When they were a good distance away, he asked, "So, have you seen Mewtwo at all?" Lazula looked down and murmured, "I wish. You?" Brock shook his head. He peered back at the group, his jaw dropped and his eyes turned to hearts. Lazula looked and saw a woman – apparently the owner of the Beautifly - talking to May. A man with a Venomoth on his shoulder stood next to her. Brock squealed and raced over to flirt. Lazula rolled her eyes. She walked back to Flaaffy, who muttered, "some things never change." Brock was in the middle of confessing his undying love for the woman when Beautifly flew off May's head and landed on his. Everyone laughed. "I'm so sorry about Beautifly," the woman said. "Hey," Max interrupted, "are you and Beautifly entering the Contest?" "We are." "I'm entering with Venomoth," the man added. "My name's Chaz." "I'm Janet," the woman said. The group introduced themselves, and Marilyn asked, "Lazula and I are just starting out, so do you think you can give us some pointers sometime?" "I'd love to," Janet said, as Beautifly landed on her head. **(3) **She and Chaz then went on to explain that a Pokemon Contest, while involving battling, is unlike a battle because you are be judged by how beautiful your moves are. After a round of appeals and several rounds of battles, the winner is awarded a Contest Ribbon. "That sounds so awesome!" May exclaimed. Janet smiled, and she and Chaz opened their Ribbon cases. They had each won two Ribbons each. May gushed over them, and Lazula and Marilyn stared in awe. _"How am I supposed to beat them?" _Lazula thought, worried. "I'm gonna go sign up!" May announced, and raced into the building. The others, minus Lazula, Sora, Marilyn, Flaaffy, Growlithe, and Togetic, followed her.

A few minutes later, they came out again. Ash, Brock, May, and Max all had Contest Passes, but May looked depressed. "The Contest is too full," she said sadly. "Get off!" she snapped, as Janet's Beautifly landed on her head. "May and Max have signed up to be my assistants," Janet explained, and May looked a little happier. Brock went over to Chaz, who was feeding Pokeblocks to Venomoth, and received an explanation on the benefits of Pokeblocks. "Hey, Ash," Lazula asked, "are you planning to challenge the Rustboro City Gym Leader?" "You bet!" Ash and Pikachu said at the same time. "You'll be in for a real fight," Chaz warned. "The Gym Leader uses Rock-type Pokemon." "That'll make it hard for me to win with Pikachu," Ash said sadly. "You'll have trouble, too, May," Max said to his sister. "Torchic's Fire-type moves don't work well against Rock types." "Oh, uh…I'll think of something," May said nervously. To Lazula, it looked like May didn't want to enter a Gym battle. "Well," Chaz said, "I think I'll be able to help teach your Pikachu a new move, Ash." "Great!" Ash exclaimed. "Let's go!" He and Chaz went off, and Lazula started practicing her routine. With three new rivals, she'd need all the help she could get.

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As Lazula practiced, three pairs of eyes stared at her from the bushes. One was jet-black, the second had slitted pupils, and the third had deep amethyst-colored eyes. It was these eyes that looked at Lazula most longingly. The owner of these eyes was an Espeon; his partners, a Pikachu and Meowth. "Wow," Pikachu murmured. "Lazula's looking great!" Espeon snapped his head around and glared coolly at him. Pikachu quickly corrected himself. "I mean, you know, healthy and happy. That's all." "She's filled out, too!" Meowth purred. **(4) **Espeon sighed and turned back to Lazula. **"I** **wonder if she remembers…" **he murmured telepathically. "Of course she does!" Pikachu told him. "Why wouldn't she?" Espeon didn't answer, but a tear filled his eye. "Don't worry, Mewtwo," Meowth comforted. "She still remembers us. She _has _to." Espeon nodded. **"Yes, she _must_. Perhaps tonight, in her dreams, I shall ask her what she remembers. Until then, we must only hope." **"And cheer her on in the Contest," Meowth added. Espeon nodded, and the three walked off into the surrounding woods.

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**(1)**For lack of a better word.

**(2)**Marilyn is also thirteen.

**(3)**That Beautifly has a problem.

**(4)**O.O?!?!

Silverstar: Mewtwo can turn into an Espeon; he's been visiting Lazula in her dreams…what next? I'll try to put up the next chapter tomorrow, or maybe Wednesday. R&R!


	6. All Things Bright and Beautifly Part 2

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Yo. Here comes Chapter 6! This took way longer than I thought to type, sorry! I'll make this into another cliffie cause I wanna drag out the battles a bit. Oh, BTW, apparently back in this episode, Vivian didn't exist, and the coordinators were scored out of 10. Weird. So, yeah, I did that on purpose. Enjoy!

_**Warning: Since this episode aired all the way back in Season 6, some events and almost all of the lines will be wrong. Oh well.**_

**Wolfen-Ways: **Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **She might reunite with Mewtwo in this chapter, she might not. Read to find out! Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **Yeah, Espeon's awesome.I was kind of thinking that Mewtwo could transform into a human, but this makes a bit more sense. Thanks for reviewing!

**jemstones are my friends: **You're so nice! Thanks for reviewing!

**ArtemisWolfRose: **I'm glad you like my stories! YOUR STORY ROCKS!! Thanks for reviewing!

**Feng Yue: **I sent you a reply via e-mail. Are _you _an OMFG? Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Sora Kumari. I _do _own Lazula and Marilyn.

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Chapter Six: All Things Bright and Beautifly (Part 2)

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Rustboro City Pokemon Contest!" the announcer boomed. The stadium was packed, and the audience cheered. "We're all very excited to be here," the announcer continued. He swung his hand around to point at the judges. "And now, let's introduce our judges: Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and your very own Nurse Joy!" The judges nodded in turn. "Our first round is the appeal stage!" the announcer said. "Coordinators will have a set time to show off their Pokemon's attacks. They will be judged on a scale of zero to ten, ten being the highest. At the end of the day, one coordinator will walk home with this beautiful Ribbon!" He held up a pink Ribbon for all to see. In the coordinator waiting room, Lazula, Marilyn, May, Max, and Janet looked at the monitor. "Oooh, that Ribbon looks so awesome!" May gushed. "Yeah," Marilyn agreed. "And it'll be mine by the end of the day!" "We'll see about that!" Lazula challenged. In the audience, Sora and Brock had their eyes glued to the stage. (Ash and Pikachu were training) Flaaffy was sitting on Sora's lap, and Treecko was on his shoulder. "Watch closely, guys," Sora told them. "Lazula said she wanted you guys to get the feel of a Contest." "She'll have some tough competition," Brock mused. The appeals began; the contstants included a Jynx, a Poochyena, a Smeargle, and an Elekid. Chaz was the next up. He told his Venomoth to use Psychic on a tea set. The set lifted up into the air, and Venomoth poured tea from one cup to another. The crowd cheered. The judges gave Chaz a 9.5 and two 10's. "That'll be tough to beat," Janet remarked. Marilyn nodded; she looked sick. Lazula said nothing; she remembered how Mewtwo had easily lifted up her and fourteen other Pokemon without even trying. Tears filled Lazula's eyes. _"Oh, Mewtwo," _she thought, _"where are you?" _

Janet was next, with May and Max as her assistants. Marilyn and Lazula, who were the next two contestants, watched from an entryway off stage. Janet released her Beautifly and told her to use Morning Sun. Beautifly's wings started glowing and a bright, white light filled the stadium. Marilyn shielded her eyes; Lazula, who had seen much brighter **(1)**, watched with interest. May and Max then started throwing Frisbees; Beautifly hit every one with String Shot. Beautifly used Silver Wind as her finale. After blowing a huge gust of sparkly wind, thousands of silver particles were released into the air. Beautifly landed on Janet's outstretched hand, and the crowd went wild. She received three perfect scores.

"Next up, we have Marilyn Green!" the announcer…well, announced, pointing at the entrance. "Good luck, Marilyn!" Lazula whispered. Marilyn nodded and stiffly walked onto the stage. "Marilyn is a first-time coordinator," the announcer explained, "so let's all welcome her!" The crowd cheered, and Marilyn smiled. "Come on out, Togetic!" she shouted, tossing the Pokeball out. Togetic popped out and struck a cute pose. **(2) **"Use Ancient Power!" Marilyn ordered. Togetic threw her arms up, and huge chunks of dirt rose from the ground. Marilyn then ordered a Psychic; Togetic's eyes glowed blue, and the rocks started spinning around in a cyclone. Togetic added a Magical Leaf to the whirlwind, and the crowd clapped energetically. Togetic concluded her performance by replacing the stage floor. The judges gave her two nines and a 9.5. Marilyn walked back over to Lazula, grinning. "I did it!" she whispered.

"And now, please put your hands together for our next contestant, Lazula Hamilton!" Lazula smiled confidently and walked onto the stage. The announcer and crowd once again welcomed her into the contest world, Flaaffy calling, "You go, girl!" Lazula tossed Growlithe's Pokeball into the air, calling out, "It's show time, Growlithe!" Growlithe came out and did an aerial backflip, landing in a beg position. The audience clapped, and Lazula beamed proudly. "Use Ember!" she called. Hundreds of small flames burst out of Growlithe's mouth and scattered all over the stage. "Now Take Down!" Lazula shouted. Growlithe started racing all over the stage, forcing the embers to gather together. "Finish it with Flamethrower!" Lazula ordered, and Growlithe shot a burst of fire from his mouth. The Flamethrower collided with the embers, creating a huge, colorful explosion. The audience cheered, and Growlithe leapt into Lazula's arms, licking her face. Lazula looked at the judge's panel and gasped. She had gotten two nines and a ten! She waved to the audience and ran offstage, wishing Mewtwo had seen her. Unbeknownst to her, he had.

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"That was awesome!" Pikachu cheered from outside the stadium. "They were totally on fire!" Meowth said jokingly. Espeon (or Mewtwo) passed a paw over his eyes, and Pikachu hit Meowth on the head, growling, "Shut up. That wasn't funny." "Ow," Meowth mumbled, rubbing his head. "Seriously though, that was freaking awesome!" "Language," Espeon warned, speaking normally in case anyone was watching. Meowth winced. "Sorry, but even _you'd_ think Lazula did great." "A spectacular performance," Espeon agreed, "however, the battle is not over. Lazula has quite a way's to go. Yet who am I to think lowly of a good friend? She has the capabilities of victory." "And she will win!" Pikachu exclaimed. In spite of himself, Espeon smiled and nodded, mentally wishing Lazula the best of luck in the next round.

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The last group was a coordinator named Jessica and her Seviper. **(3)** "Poison Sting!" Jessica commanded, but Seviper started sweating. Realizing he didn't know that move, Jessica ordered a Razor Leaf. Seviper shook his head, sweating harder. "Blaze Kick? Dragon Rage? Water Gun? Poison Tail?" Recognizing the last one, Seviper rammed his tail, glowing purple into Jessica. Screaming, Jessica was blasted over through the opposite entryway. Seviper followed, grinning sheepishly. Of course, she got a zero. "Well, that was nothing shy of pathetic," Lazula said, sweatdropping. "Look!" Marilyn said. "They've posted the four finalists!" Lazula looked at the monitor. The finalists were Chaz, Janet, Marilyn, and…herself! "Yes!" she cheered, pumping her fist into the air. "We made it!" Marilyn cried, hugging Lazula. Lazula grinned, then frowned. She could've sworn she heard three voices calling her name and wishing her luck. But then again, maybe it was only her imagination.

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**(1)**Meaning back when Mewtwo moved the lake under Mt. Queyna.

**(2)**Everyone has different opinions of cute, so use your imagination.

**(3)**I _wonder _who she is? CoughJessiecough

Silverstar: There's part two! I feel terrible, but next week I'm going on vacation, and will have no access to a computer. I'M SO SORRY! R&R!


	7. All Things Bright and Beautifly Part 3

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Okay, so I was able to squeeze in just one more chapter before I need to leave. This might seem a little rushed, but I hope you'll enjoy it!

_**Warning: Since this episode aired all the way back in Season 6, some events and almost all of the lines will be wrong. Oh well.**_

Just as a reminder:

"aaa" – talking

"_aaa"_ – thinking

"**aaa"** – telepathy

**Wolfen-Ways: **Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Feng Yue: **Oh. Basically, I thanked you for your nice comments, said I never read The Immortals series but I'll check it out, and that I _am _an OMFG. Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **Hahaha! That sounds like a cool idea! Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Sora Kumari. I _do _own Lazula and Marilyn.

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Chapter Seven: All Things Bright and Beautifly (Part 3)

Lazula stared at the monitor as Marilyn faced Chaz. This was the first Contest battle, and a random shuffle had paired them up. She was facing Janet. "Wow, this battle will be so cool!" Max said excitedly. "The next one will be better," May argued, and Lazula grinned. But then…"Beautifly's gonna win, no sweat!" Lazula fell over anime style. "Hey!" she said, jumping back up. May sweatdropped.

On the stage, the battle between Venomoth and Togetic was beginning. "Venomoth, use Psybeam!" Chaz ordered. A multicolored beam shot from Venomoth's eyes. "Dodge it!" Marilyn countered, and Togetic dodged with a loop-de-loop. Chaz's points went down a little bit. Marilyn then ordered a Magical Leaf. The glowing leaves repeatedly struck Venomoth, but as Grass attacks aren't too effective on Bug types, Chaz's points only went down a little. But Marilyn had predicted it; Togetic used Psychic to launch the leaves again and again, causing more points to drop.

"Psybeam!" Chaz called. This time, the beam hit Togetic in the chest, knocking her against a wall. "Don't give up, Togetic!" Marilyn called. "Use your Ancient Power!" Once again, rocks were lifted up into the air. They were thrown towards Venomoth, who caught them with Psychic. Marilyn's points dropped. Sparkly orange powder fluttered from Venomoth's wings as he used Stun Spore. They hit Togetic, paralyzing her. Togetic was once again hit with a Psybeam. "Togetic!" Marilyn screamed, but Togetic had fainted. The remaining points disappeared; Marilyn had lost.

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After consoling Marilyn, Lazula, Growlithe, Janet, and Beautifly faced each other on stage. "Use Take Down, Growlithe!" Lazula started off. Growlithe charged toward Beautifly and hit her hard. Lazula looked at the scoreboard; both their points were dropping, but Janet had lost more points. _"Take Down always hurts the user a little bit," _Lazula remembered. Janet called for an Absorb. Beautifly glowed green and latched onto Growlithe, sucking out a bit of energy with her proboscis. **(1) **Lazula's points dropped a tiny bit. Janet then called for a Stun Spore, and Lazula told Growlithe to use Flamethrower. The two attacks collided, and were both pushed back towards Beautifly. Janet lost some serious points. "Morning Sun!" Janet called, and Beautifly's wings glowed as she restored health. Lazula lost a lot of points. Lazula called for a Take Down, but Growlithe was rapped up by String Shot. He broke free with Ember, but not fast enough. Beautifly rammed into Growlithe (Tackle) and sent him flying backwards. Just then, the timer went off. Five minutes had passed…and Janet had more points! Lazula knelt down and patted Growlithe. "You did a great job," she whispered hoarsely. _"My first Contest," _she thought, tears in her eyes, _"and I lost."_

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"No!" wailed Pikachu. "She lost!" Meowth added. Espeon looked down. He wasn't ashamed or angry; no, he was very proud that Lazula had gotten that far. But the camera was focused on Lazula, and he couldn't bear to look. He hated when Lazula was upset. Many times at Mt. Queyna, Lazula had been in pain or crying. Even though Espeon was good at hiding his emotions, but when Lazula cried, it was all he could do to keep tears from his eyes. _"I even caused her pain once," _he remembered sadly. Lazula had been trying to stop him from entering a force field created by machines that almost killed him. Wanting to keep her safe, Espeon (then Mewtwo) had used his powers to irritate her scar to keep her back. He never forgot that heart-wrenching cry of pain as she fell to the ground. To this day, it tore him up that such a kind, selfless young woman had been hurt by his hand.

Espeon looked up. The monitor was now focused on the final battle between Chaz and Janet. Suddenly, Espeon sensed a threat. Looking to the sky, he spotted a familiar sight – the balloon of Jessie, James and Meowth (who was his Meowth's clone). He growled softly; Team Rocket never meant good news. Motioning for Pikachu and Meowth to follow him, he crept into the Contest hall.

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"And time's up!" the announcer boomed. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for our winner, Janet!" The crowd cheered, and Janet hugged Beautifly. Lazula, Marilyn, and Flaaffy stood in the entryway, smiling sadly (Flaaffy had joined them after Lazula's loss). "I wish we could've won," Marilyn said sadly. "Yeah," Lazula murmured, and Flaaffy hugged her legs. Suddenly, two people in tuxedos raced over to Janet and congratulated her. "Hey, what are you doing?" the announcer asked. "We just wanted to congratulate the big winner," one person said sweetly. The other handed Janet a bouquet of roses. The roses exploded in a burst of smoke. Lazula, Marilyn, and Flaaffy ran on stage. They were joined by Ash, Brock, May, Max, and Sora. The smoke cleared, and the two people stood center stage with a Meowth, and Beautifly and Venomoth trapped in nets. "Prepare for trouble!" shouted one. "Make it double!" the other added.

_To protect the world from devastation!_

_To unite all peoples within our nation!_

_To denounce the evils of truth and love!_

_To extend our reach to the stars above!_

_Jessie!_

_James!_

_Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!_

_Surrender now or prepare to fight!_

_Meowth, that's right!_

The two ripped off their disguises to reveal Team Rocket. "You clowns again?" Lazula asked. The three looked her way. "Hey look!" Meowth said. "It's that twerp from Mt. Queyna!" "What do you want with those Pokemon?" May challenged. Jessie smirked. "We're going to use them to win lots of Ribbons!" "Not if we have anything to say about it!" Chaz shouted. Jessie tossed out a Pokeball, and a Seviper popped out, hissing. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash shouted, and everyone stared at him. _"That must be the move he was learning!" _ Lazula realized. Pikachu ran towards Seviper, tail glowing. All of a sudden, his tail stopped glowing and he fell to the ground. "Oh, no!" Ash moaned. "We still need to practice!" "Torchic, go!" May shouted. Torchic popped out and ruffled her feathers. **(2)** "Use Ember!" Torchic blew tiny flames at the net, setting Beautifly and Venomoth free. They faced Team Rocket, scowling.

Suddenly, Jessie, James, Meowth, and Seviper glowed blue, and were lifted up into the air. They started slamming into the walls, the floor, and each other. "Where did that Psychic attack come from?" Marilyn asked. Lazula looked around and saw an Espeon, Pikachu, and Meowth standing near the doorway. The Espeon's eyes glowed blue. He nodded at Lazula, and then used his powers to hold Team Rocket in a tight group. Understanding, Lazula called out, "Use Thunderbolt, Flaaffy!" Flaaffy zapped Team Rocket, who were sent flying through the roof, shouting, "We're blasting off agaaaaain!" Lazula stared back at the Espeon. Flaaffy suddenly gasped. "Lazula, do they look familiar to you?" she asked, smiling. Lazula looked back and gasped too. "They look just like…" Pikachu and Meowth waved. She waved back, then looked at Espeon. "Mewtwo?" she whispered. "Is that you?" A deep voice in her head replied, **"It is." **Lazula smiled, tears in her eyes. Espeon cried too. He winked at Lazula, and all three teleported away. Lazula stared back in awe. "What's wrong, cuz?" Sora asked. Lazula shook her head and looked at Flaaffy, who was grinning widely and wiping away tears of her own. "Nothing," Lazula murmured. "Everything's just the way it should be."

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**(1)**Her nose, that is.

**(2)**I always thought that was really cute.

Silverstar: WHOA! This is getting intense! Is it just me, or does Mewtwo seem to have a thing for Lazula? I might be able to put up one more short chapter before I go. R&R!


	8. Dreams

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Here's Chapter 8! This'll be kinda short, but it'll be important! If any of you saw the typo in the last chapter, I fixed it. Stupid keys…oh, for all you Harvest Moon fans, I just posted a story on that; pretty slow start, but it'll get better!

**Wolfen-Ways: **Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks for reviewing!

**ArtemisWolfRose: **Thanks for reviewing! UPDATE YOUR STORY!

**jemstones are my friends: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Feng Yue: **Oops, my bad! I fixed that though. Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Sora.

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Chapter Eight: Dreams

A few days later, Lazula, Sora, and Flaaffy stepped off the public ferry onto Dewford Island. They were on their way to a Contest in Slateport City. Sora went off to go buy supplies, and Lazula and Flaaffy decided to take a walk. They were just stopping outside Granite Cave when they heard a loud splash. Flaaffy jumped. "What was that?' she asked. Lazula shrugged. "Probably a Magikarp or something. Let's go." Suddenly, an adorable Marill shot out of the water and onto the beach. Lazula smiled and walked over to her. "Hi," she said. "Hello," Marill answered. "You're a Trainer, right? Could we have a battle?" Lazula blinked. "Are you sure?" Marill nodded. "It's always been my dream to travel." Lazula smiled and brought out an empty Pokeball. "You're on!"

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That night, Lazula expected to fall asleep quickly. She had, after all, had a long day. Not only had she caught Marill and learned her moves (Tackle, Water Gun, and Bubble), she taught her a new one (Ice Beam). What Lazula did _not _expect was to have another dream. This time, she was standing in Mt. Queyna, watching the moon rise above the waterfall. Lazula turned around and saw the same Espeon from Rustboro City walking towards her. "Mewtwo!" Lazula called out, and raced over to him. Espeon nuzzled her leg, tears in his eyes. Lazula was about to reach out and hold him, but suddenly, everything disappeared, and Lazula was falling through space, listening to the maniacal laughter of Giovanni.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Miles away, Espeon's eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet, expecting a threat. There was no one around. He sighed and sat down. Unbeknownst to him, he had been having the exact same dream as Lazula. Now wide awake, Mewtwo stared up through the trees at the moon. It was full, as it had been that fateful day almost a year ago. Espeon sighed again. He remembered Lazula and all she had done for him. How beautiful she was…**"No! I cannot think about that!" **Espeon said firmly. But it was no use. He could no longer deny it. He was falling in love. With a human. Espeon lowered his head and cried as only a heartbroken lover can.

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Silverstar: Sorry that was so short, I'm feeling rushed. This time I really am gone. Happy Easter! Happy April Fools Day! R&R!


	9. Advice from Uncle Jake

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: HERE I AM! Phew, what a week, what a week. Needless to say, I'm swamped trying to update two stories at once, but I will do it! Sorry about the short chapter last time, but I think I made up for it due to romance. Also, you guys are right; Lazula and Mewtwo are scared of losing each other. YOU GUYS ARE SO SMART! This chapter will be longer, and will introduce another of Wolfen-Ways' characters

**Feng Yue: **That song does fit pretty well. Your story is _awesome_, update soon. You must be a mind reader, because yes, Mewtwo will transform into a human. In this chapter, in fact. BTW, I read your review for Medabot Freak's new story, and I mean no offense, but I really don't think there are a lot of those stories around. Counting Medabot's story, I've only seen three, one of which being my own. Again, no offense meant! Thanks for reviewing!

**Wolfen-Ways: **You want it, you got it! Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **Yup, you're right. Thanks for reviewing!

**jemstones are my friends: **Thanks for reviewing!

**RETerra2cool: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **This is one of those times where I am jealous of my own creation. Is that healthy? No? Okay then. Anyway, your story: it's awesome, I never get tired of reading plots like that, update soon! Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: You guys are smart, you figure it out!

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Chapter Nine: Advice from Uncle Jake

The next morning, Lazula and Flaaffy woke up before Sora. Still feeling shaky from her dreams, she left the Pokemon Center and walked to the beach, Flaaffy groggily following. "Whassup, Lazula?" she mumbled incoherently. "Nothing," Lazula answered shortly. "No, really," Flaaffy said worriedly. "What's wrong?" Lazula stared out at the azure waves. "I…I just had a dream last night. That's all." "You wanna talk about it?" "No." "Let me rephrase: tell me your dream." Lazula sighed, but told Flaaffy all about her dream of the night before. Flaaffy thought for a moment before announcing, "The dream must mean that you're afraid of losing Mewtwo, at the hand of Giovanni or otherwise." "Maybe you're right," Lazula said thoughtfully.

"Of course she's right," A voice said, making them jump. Sora walked to Lazula's other side. "There's one thing that doesn't add up," he said. "Why is Mewtwo hiding his true form from us? I mean, we both saw him." "You saw him?" Lazula asked. "Of course I did. You think I got nothing better to do than watch a couple of creeps steal some Bug Pokemon?" Lazula smiled, and then frowned. "That must be it then." "What?" "Well," Lazula answered slowly, "Most of the time, you were separated from me, right? Which means that Mewtwo doesn't know you that well. And as we all know, Mewtwo has a problem with trusting people. Especially…well…people." Sora shook his head. "That's not it. Remember when you passed out? During that time, Mewtwo and I got acquainted. He knows me. And, since I'm your cousin and _you_ trust me, he must trust me too." "Oh," Lazula said weakly. "Here's an idea," Flaaffy cut in. "Maybe Mewtwo stayed as an Espeon because there were _a hundred people_ in the Contest Hall." "That's not it," Sora argued. "Everyone was looking at Team Rocket." "You can never be too careful," Lazula said, and started walking back. "Whatever his reasons, Mewtwo is now an Espeon. Be thankful that nothing's happened to him."

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A few hours later, Sora, Flaaffy, and Lazula were eating lunch when a loud rustle startled them. "What was that?" Lazula asked, and a deep growl resonated in the bushes. Sora grinned. "I think I know!" he shouted, and raced into the bushes. Lazula and Flaaffy followed, exchanging a glance. They suddenly found Sora hugging an enormous red Pokemon. "HOLY CRAP, IT'S AN ENTEI, HE"LL BURN US TO BITS, WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Flaaffy shrieked, running in circles and scaring away the bird Pokemon within a fifty mile radius. Lazula, a bit more subtly, stared in confusion. _"Can it really be…?" _ she thought. "Uncle Jake?" she whispered. Entei smiled and walked over her. **"Lazula," **he murmured telepathically. **"Look how you've grown! You were only a baby when I saw you last." **Lazula smiled and hugged him tight. When they broke apart, she frowned. When Jake had disappeared, Lazula had only been two years old. The very next year, she had been abandoned by her parents – which meant Jake didn't know about her gift. And even though Aunt Trisha was completely supportive of her and couldn't _believe_ that her no-good sister would do something like that, Lazula didn't know where Jake stood on the issue. As if reading her thoughts, Jake said, **"Don't worry, Lazula. I know about your gift. Sora's too," **he added, and Sora frowned. "You won't tell Mom, right?" Sora asked worriedly. **"Of course not," **Jake said, shaking his shaggy head.

Everyone talked for about a half hour when Jake said to Lazula, **"Come with me for a minute, Lazula." **Confused, Lazula followed him, telling Flaaffy to stay put. When they were a good distance away, Jake asked, **"Lazula, what's the matter? I've sensed an aura of sadness about you." **"Well," Lazula said slowly, "I have this friend back home and I…" She took a deep breath. "I think I might…you know…sort of…like him." Right as she said those words, she knew them to be true. She was in love with Mewtwo. **"Hmmm,"** Jake said thoughtfully. **"Well, I don't know if this will really help, but I think the best thing to do is build up your friendship first. Find out what he likes, and try not to get on his bad side, but don't seem like a fool, either. And when the time is right, tell him." **Lazula nodded slowly. "Thanks, Uncle Jake. I'll try what you said." Feeling happier, Lazula walked back to the others. _"Next time," _she thought, _"I'm not letting Mewtwo get away so easily!"_

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Earlier that morning, Pikachu and Meowth had woken up to see an exhausted and sorrowful Espeon curled up at the base of a tree. "Mewtwo, what happened?" Pikachu asked, scared. **"Nothing," **Espeon murmured weakly. **"Only a dream." **"Do you want to talk about it?" Meowth asked. Espeon shook his head. Pikachu, the smarter of the two, asked sagely, "Was it a dream about Lazula?" All of a sudden, Espeon burst into tears again. **"Pikachu, I…I can't," **he sobbed. "What?" **"Love her," **he whispered. Pikachu grinned. "You love her? That's great! A more perfect match you'll never find, right Meowth?" Meowth nodded, and Espeon stood shakily, shaking his head. **"No," **he growled as firmly as he could. **"I cannot love her. She is a human. I am a Pokemon. She…she would never love one such as I." **"Sure she would!" Meowth argued. Pikachu however, frowned. "I see where Mewtwo's coming from," he said slowly. "Lazula would probably fall in love with a human."

Suddenly, Espeon's head snapped up and he smiled. **"Of course," **he murmured. "What?" asked Meowth, puzzled. Espeon raced to the edge of a small lake and peered at his reflection. **"I became an Espeon through a new ability – Transform – and can use it to become any Pokemon I please, correct?" **The two nodded weakly, and Espeon continued. **"Perhaps it is possible that I could Transform into a human!" **"Uh-uh, no way," Pikachu said quickly. "_Bad _idea. This will make it even harder for us to hide out!" **"We will not _need_ to hide," **Espeon argued, a note of impatience in his voice. "Besides," Meowth argued, "Lazula might just like you now, as you are – um, were. Lazula doesn't trust new people that much either, and who's to blame her? If you become a human, there's a chance that she won't like you at all!" Espeon stared at his paws. **"Perhaps," **he relented. **"I believe, however, that I should at least attempt this. It could be useful." **Espeon concentrated, using every scrap of his remaining strengthto Transform. A bright white light surrounded him, and Pikachu and Meowth shielded their eyes. When the light faded, a tall figure stood in front of them. "Perfect," Mewtwo murmured. "Now, at last, I have a chance!"

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Silverstar: Well, that was kind of strange, but very romantic. Now, Lazula admits she's in love! So, what happens next? Stick around to find out! R&R!


	10. Friends Old and New

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Hello, people! Here's Chapter 10! Sorry about the wait, I've been cursed by that which plagues all writers: **WRITER'S BLOCK. **And then, the site wouldn't let me upload the next chapter!Grr…this will be a little short but very important. Oh, it also has a scene from the episode, "Now That's Flower Power!" Enjoy!

**Wolfen-Ways: **You're welcome! Thanks for reviewing!

**gaara-kun39: **Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Gaara's Pyro RACCOON: **Yeah, Sora's dad was turned into an Entei. For the full story, check out Wolfen-Ways' The Volcano of Hope. Thanks for reviewing!

**ReTerra2cool: **Read on to find out! Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **You're welcome! Thanks for reviewing!

**jemstones are my friends: **I sent you a reply via e-mail. Thanks for reviewing!

**Feng Yue: **That's the idea:) The song by Billy Joel fits like a glove. Who wrote the second one? Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Sora.

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Chapter Ten: Friends Old and New

Lazula blinked and looked around. She appeared to be in a sort of city. She could see the ocean nearby, along with an enormous port. And directly in front of her was…a Contest hall! Lazula walked in eagerly. _"I'll use Flaaffy this time," _she thought, remembering yesterday's arduous – but successful – practice session. To her surprise, the lobby was empty. That is, empty except for a figure at the far end. Lazula walked over, and the figure turned around. Lazula gasped. It was Mewtwo! He wore a dark brown cloak around his neck and a smile on his face. Lazula raced over to him, and then hesitated. "Mewtwo?" she whispered. "Is that really you?" **"Yes, Lazula," **Mewtwo replied. **"It's really me." **Lazula threw her arms around him. Unlike their last hug, Mewtwo immediately hugged her back.

They stood like that for a moment before Lazula said in a worried voice, "Mewtwo, a while ago, someone visited me in my dream. He said he knew you." Mewtwo chuckled softly. **"Lazula, you haven't realized? That was me in your dream." **"_You_?" Lazula asked. She remembered what the figure had said, and blushed. "So, does that mean - " Mewtwo suddenly stiffened. **"Lazula," **he murmured. **"I need you to do me a favor." **"What is it?" **"You have to wake up now." **Lazula stared at him. "You mean – no! This can't be!" Mewtwo faded out, tears in his eyes. "Mewtwo! Please don't go!" Lazula wailed. "Lazula!" a voice called. Lazula's eyes snapped open. She was in her cabin on the ferry to Slateport City. Flaaffy was on her bed, staring anxiously at her. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You were muttering something. What happened?" Lazula opened her mouth, but all that came out were sobs.

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Hours later, Lazula stepped off the boat into Slateport City. "Ahhhh," Sora sighed, inhaling deeply. "I love that salty smell!" "You mean dead fish Pokemon?" Flaaffy joked. Lazula said nothing, but quickly came to a realization; Slateport was the city from her dream! A moment later, her suspicions were confirmed as she noticed a poster advertising a Pokemon Contest. "Awesome!" Flaaffy said excitedly. "Finally, my big debut!" "The Contest is in two days," Sora pointed out. "Plenty of practice time!" "Cool!" Lazula said, pumping a fist into the air. "Look out world, Lazula Hamilton's ready to rock!"

"Pardon me, did you say your name was Lazula Hamilton?" Lazula turned around and saw a muscular young man standing behind them, a smile on his face. He wore a black sleeveless shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. His hair was short and purple. In summary, he was _really_ hot. Then Lazula noticed his eyes. Deep amethyst in color, they looked just like Mewtwo's. "Uh, yeah, that's me," Lazula said hesitantly. The man smile grew wider. "I thought so. You certainly have changed, Lazula." "Excuse me," Sora interrupted, "but do we know you?" Flaaffy, prepared for any sort of perverted or maniacal attack, started sparking. The man smirked. "Forgotten already, have you, Sora?" he asked. "Well then, you might need a little refresher." Suddenly, Pikachu and Meowth leapt up from behind the man and into Lazula's arms. "Hey, Lazula!" Pikachu said. "We missed you!" Meowth added. "I missed you guys too!" Lazula said, hugging them. She turned back to the man, wide-eyed. "So," she whispered. "Are you…you know…my friend from back at Mt. Queyna?" The man smiled and winked. "Yes," he said. "You mean that's Mewtwo?" Flaaffy whispered. In a daze, Lazula put down Pikachu and Meowth. Then, without warning, she raced over to Mewtwo and hugged him. Mewtwo hugged her back, and then planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Lazula gasped and blushed. Mewtwo, however let go and took a step back, looking horrified. "Lazula, I…I'm sorry…I…I don't know what came over me," Mewtwo stammered. Lazula shook her head. "Don't worry about it, dude. It's been a year and we're all glad to see each other, right Flaaffy?" "Don't you know it!" Flaaffy replied. "I'm glad to see you, too," Sora added. "It's really been a long time, Mew – um…what did you say your name was." "Matthew," Mewtwo answered, still looking shaky. "Nice name," Lazula said, grinning. "C'mon, Matthew, we got _loads_ to talk about."

A few minutes later, the group was walking on the beach, talking about their respective travels. Matthew was just about to tell them about his journey when he, Pikachu, and Meowth suddenly stiffened. "Do you hear that?" Matthew whispered. "No," Lazula said, confused. "Neither do I," Sora added. "It must be their superclone hearing or something like that," Flaaffy reasoned. Lazula was about to agree when she finally heard something – the faint voices of a serious argument. "Hey, who's shouting?" she asked. "Only one way to find out!" Pikachu said, and the six raced towards the boardwalk. They were met with a very strange sight – May arguing with a smug, green-haired boy, while Ash and the others looked on. A Beautifly flew overhead. "Hey, break it up!" Lazula called as she ran over. Everyone turned around. "Oh, hey Lazula," May growled. "Hi Sora," Max said. "Who's your friend?" "This is Matthew," Sora answered. "A friend from back home in Johto." "Hello," Matthew said politely. "So," Lazula said, "what were you guys arguing about?" "He thinks my Beautifly is second-rate!" May snarled. The boy laughed. "It is," he said. "There's no way it can win the Contest." "Shut up!" Beautifly shouted, and Ash called out, "Quit insulting her Pokemon!" "Hold it, everyone," Lazula interrupted. "We'll be the judge of this." "We're Pokemon experts!" Sora added. May nodded and called Beautifly, who landed on her head. **(1)** Lazula, Sora, and Matthew casually observed her (Beautifly), and then spoke softly among themselves. "A well-raised Pokemon," Matthew said, "but it could use some more experience." May sighed.

"So," the boy said to Lazula, "who are you, anyway?" Lazula blinked. "No need to be so rude. I'm Lazula Hamilton." "You mean the Lazula Hamilton who competed in the Rustboro City Contest?' the boy asked. Lazula nodded, preparing for the worst. But then…"Not bad for a beginner. Not bad at all. Certainly better than what May will do." "Hey!" May cut in. "I'm Drew," the boy went on. "I'll be participating in the Slateport Contest. I need to go practice now. See ya." And with that, he walked off.

"Well, that was interesting," Flaaffy muttered. May and Max suddenly lit up. "What did it say, Lazula?" Max asked. "Huh?" Lazula replied intelligently. "You know," May said. "Ash told us you could talk to Pokemon." "Oh, he did, did he?' Lazula growled. Ash, Brock, and Matthew were conversing a little ways off. "ASH KETCHUM!" Lazula shouted, and raced after him. As Lazula had spent most of her life running from psychotic townspeople, it was no contest. "You told them?!" Lazula snarled. "I'm sorry!" Ash wailed. "That's all I told them, I promise!" "Hey, don't worry!" Max called. "We think it's really cool!" "Those people were horrible for what they did to you!" May added. Lazula smiled and nodded gratefully. "So, Lazula," Brock interrupted. "Matthew here is really…you know?" "Yeah," Lazula answered, and Matthew replied, "Yes I am." "Hey Lazula," Sora said. "Don't you think you should practice?" "You're right," Lazula answered. "I intend to do _much _better this time!" _"And with Mewtwo close by," _ she thought, _"I will!"_

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**(1) **This is really starting to get old.

Silverstar: There you have it! So, who will win the Slateport Contest? Will Lazula or Matthew admit their love? Will Drew ever stop being a snob? I think we all know the answer to that one…R&R!


	11. Win, Lose, or Drew Part 1

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: ARGH! DAMN THE BEEPING COMPUTER! It crashed, so I could only go on my mom's laptop _for five minutes! _I am soooo sorry! Okay, enough ranting. This is based on the episode "Win, Lose, or Drew," which I don't own. For all Mystery Dungeon fans, I'm working on one of those stories now.

**Wolfen-Ways: **Thanks for reviewing!

**PrincessofDarknesskh: **Thanks for reviewing!

**gaara-kun39: **Funny, yes, but also vaguely disturbing. That won't come until much later, though. Or will it? Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **Thanks for reviewing! BTW, I saw your drawing of Scarlet. IT"S SO COOL!

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Feng Yue: **Sent you an e-mail. Let me know if you don't get it. Thanks for reviewing!

**Padme4000: **Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: If I owned anything, my penname would be Nintendo.

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Chapter Eleven: Win, Lose, or Drew! (Part One)

Two days later, Lazula and May looked at the waiting-room monitor as the Slateport City Contest begun. "Welcome everyone!" the announcer called. "Welcome to the Slateport City Pokemon Contest! I'm your hostess, Vivian, and we have a real show planned for you all today!" The crowd cheered (Silverstar's note: Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Max, Sora, Lazula's Marill, Matthew, Pikachu (2), and Meowth are all there, too). "The winner of today's Contest will earn a fabulous Ribbon!" Vivian continued holding up the Ribbon. "Five of these will earn the right to take part in the Grand Festival! Now let's meet our judges: the head of the Contest Board, Mr. Contesta; the president of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo; and finally, Slateport's own Nurse Joy!" Each judge nodded in turn. Lazula turned away from the monitor. May looked really nervous. "Hey, don't worry," Lazula reassured. "I was nervous back at Rustboro, and I did okay." "You didn't act nervous," May argued. "Yeah, but I was. I was just trying to put on a good show, as is the point of Contests. You'll be fine. Really."

And thus, the contest begins. Contestants include a Shroomish, a Wingull, an Azurill, and a Bellossom. Lazula was starting to get a bit worried when May pointed up to the monitor. "It's Drew!" she exclaimed angrily. And indeed it was. Drew bowed to the audience. "Petal Dance!" he called, tossing out a Pokeball. The ball opened and beautiful petals danced around the stage, but…"Where's his Pokemon?" Lazula asked. A moment later, her question was answered, as a gorgeous Roselia stepped out of the petals. _"Aw, crap," _she thought. _"How do I beat an entrance like that?" _ Drew ordered a combination of Stun Spore and Magical Leaf, sending Roselia into a tornado of beauty and color. They finished it off with first creating a fireworks-like Petal Dance, and then destroying them with Magical Leaf. The audience went crazy as Drew and Roselia bowed. Drew received a 9.8, a 9.9, and a 9.7, for a total of 29.4.

A few minutes later, Drew walked into the waiting-room. "Hey," he said, walking over. "Hi, Drew," May said, in a voice that suggested she was both nervous and angry. "'Sup?" Lazula asked in a kinder tone. "Nice job out there by the way." "Thanks," Drew answered. "Good luck to the two of you." He smirked. "You especially, May." May growled and released Beautifly, saying, "How dare you?! Beautifly and I have worked really hard the last few days, isn't that right, Beautifly?" "Right!" Beautifly agreed. "Hey, could you guys do this rival thing later?" Lazula interrupted. "I'm trying to watch." They shut up, and Lazula turned back to the screen, where a tall young man named Robert was up. Robert sent out a Pokeball, and what came out was the most beautiful Pokemon Lazula had ever seen. "Wow," she whispered. "Milotic!" _"I hope Mewtwo's not getting any ideas," _she added silently. Robert started with Safeguard, giving Milotic a gorgeous blue-and-yellow glow. Milotic waved her tail in a friendly way, and the crowd went wild. Before Lazula could watch any more of the appeal, a speaker announced that Contestant number 24 is up next. "Oh, shit, that's me!" Lazula said, and raced to the arena entrance.

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Matthew frowned as Robert walked off stage. "That will certainly be tough to beat. I wonder if…what in the world are you two doing?" Pikachu and Meowth leaned over the railing. "Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty Milotic!" Meowth gushed. "Oh, Arceus," Matthew muttered, passing a hand over his eyes. **(1) **Pikachu turned back to Matthew. "So," he said casually, "speaking of love, are you gonna tell _your _crush you like her?" Pikachu might as well have suggested returning Giovanni's memories. "Why in the world would I do that?" Matthew asked. Pikachu gave him a look, but before he could answer, Lazula walked on stage, ready to begin.

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"Go Flaaffy!" Lazula shouted, tossing the Pokeball into the air. Flaaffy came out, spun around, and threw her hands over her head. The crowd made appreciative noises. _"Please let this work," _Lazula thought. "Flaaffy, start with Light Screen!" Flaaffy's hands started glowing, and a glowing sheet of light appeared right above her. She leapt on, and the crowd went wild. "Now, Thunderbolt!" Electricity flowed over the sides of the Light Screen, making it look like a spider. Lazula then called for Thunder Wave, and blue lightning was added to the mix. The crowd cheered again as the Light Screen faded, and Lazula saw Matthew smiling proudly. Lazula waved to the audience, and then looked back at her score. 9…9…9.5! _"27.5!" _she thought in wonder. _"I could win this!"_

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**(1) **Arceus is one of the new Pokemon from D/P. It's said to be god of all Pokemon.

Silverstar: Part 2 coming soon! R&R!


	12. Win, Lose, or Drew Part 2

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Here's Chapter 12! Wow, 62 reviews! I feel so loved! Thank you, everyone!

**Padme4000: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Wolfen-Ways: **Good idea! But nobody's telling Jake _anything_ about Matthew. He'll come back soon. Thanks for reviewing!

**ScytherGirl439: **Glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!

**gaara-kun39: **Yeah, I always try to put my mind in print, and try to make it as easy to understand as possible (while still making it interesting). Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Gaara's Pyro RACCOON:** Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **Yeah, Mewtwo's naïveté can be sort of annoying at times. But, of course, we all still love him. Thanks for reviewing!

**Feng Yue: **Well, Arceus is known as the Creation Pokemon, it created Dialga and Palkia, and can be any type it wants depending on its plate. Sounds pretty god-like to me! Oh, I told you to stop getting ahead of the story, conflict shall come. Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Lazula.

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Chapter Twelve: Win, Lose, or Drew! (Part Two)

While May performed her appeal, Lazula and Flaaffy went back to the waiting room, where Matthew, Pikachu, and Meowth were waiting for them. "That was awesome!" Pikachu said happily. "I've _never _seen Light Screen used like that!" Meowth added. Matthew said nothing, but he didn't have to; the look in his eyes was enough. Lazula grinned and said to Flaaffy, "That'll be a show to remember, huh?" "You bet!" Flaaffy agreed, pumping a fist into the air. Lazula turned to the monitor and winced. May, overly nervous, had fallen flat on her face while trying to bring out Beautifly. "That's gotta hurt," Lazula muttered as May pulled herself back up. "That won't do so well for her score, either," Matthew said. When May finally started, she tossed out a Frisbee, which Beautifly sent back with String Shot. They continued this for a minute, gradually getting faster and faster. Thankfully, the judges looked impressed. Then, the slip-up: Beautifly unexpectedly used Gust to send back the Frisbee, and May barely caught it, almost falling again. "This isn't good," Flaaffy said. "They're both too nervous." Lazula nodded as May righted herself. For the finale, Beautifly used Silver Wind to move spin quickly, a real crowd pleaser. May received an 8.1, 8.3, 8.5, for a low 24.9. May walked off stage, looking disappointed.

Minutes later, May walked in, followed by all the others. Marill, not understanding the mood, jumped into Lazula's arms, saying, "You did it, Lazula!" Lazula stroked her friend's fur. "Sure did. I hope you learned a bit about Contests." Marill nodded, and hopped back into Sora's arms. Suddenly, Drew walked over, holding a rose. "Here," he said, holding it out to May. May smiled. "For me?" Drew smirked. "No, it's for Beautifly. Unlike you, it did a pretty good job." May scowled and pushed the rose away and everyone else rolled their eyes. She was about to start shouting, when Sora called out, "Hey guys, you might wanna continue your little rival thing later." He pointed to the monitor, and Lazula saw that she, Drew, Robert, and May had made the finals. "All right!" Lazula cheered, and May instantly perked up. "We're in!" she squealed. "Nice job," Ash praised. Drew shrugged and walked off. "Good luck, you two!" Max said. "We'll be cheering for you," Matthew added, and Lazula's cheeks turned light pink.

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"Showtime, Flaaffy!" Lazula called, tossing out a Pokeball. Her first opponent, Robert, did the same. Flaaffy and Milotic both came out, glaring. "And it's Flaaffy versus Milotic in the first battle on the first stage!" **(1) **Vivian called. The crowd cheered, and Matthew leaned forward expectantly. Vivian went on to explain the rules, and Lazula looked over at Robert, who smiled good-naturedly. Lazula smiled back. _"What a good sport," _she thought. _"It's almost a shame to beat him. Almost." _

"Now, let's start the clock!" Vivian shouted, and Lazula tensed. "Use Thunderbolt!" she called. Electricity flowed towards Milotic, but Robert thought fast; he ordered a Safeguard, and the Thunderbolt bounced off harmlessly. Lazula's points dropped slightly. Robert then called for an Iron Tail. Lazula ordered Flaaffy to use her own Iron Tail. The two Pokemon collided, Milotic getting a bit more damage, causing more points to drop. Quickly, Lazula ordered another Thunderbolt. This time, it hit Milotic hard, causing a ton of points to go out the window. Recovering quickly, she used Hydro Pump. Flaaffy had no time to dodge. The spray sent her flying into a wall. "Flaaffy!" Lazula called. "I'm okay," Flaaffy groaned, and got back up. Milotic shot another Hydro Pump; this time, Flaaffy used Light Screen to block. Lazula ordered a Thunder Wave, and blue lightning hit Milotic completely paralyzing her. "Milotic!" Robert called worriedly.

Just then the timer went off. Both coordinators looked fearfully up at the screen. It was close, but Lazula had just a few more points! "Ladies and gentlemen, it's Lazula Hamilton!" Vivian called, and the crowd went crazy. Sora was cheering himself hoarse, Marill, both Pikachu, and Meowth were jumping up and down, and even Matthew was on his feet. Lazula hugged Flaaffy, murmuring, "We did it. You were awesome, pal." Robert recalled Milotic and walked over to them. "Congratulations," he said. "That was a fierce battle. You have what it takes to become an excellent coordinator." He held out his hand. "Good luck, my friend." Lazula smiled and shook his hand. "Thanks, Robert. I hope to see you again down the road." "What excellent sportsmanship!" Vivian announced. "Let's give them both a big hand!" Lazula picked up Flaaffy, and they both waved to their new fans.

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The next battle was May against Drew, Beautifly against Roselia. "Roselia, Magical Leaf!" Drew called. May countered with Gust; a few leaves were blown away, but the rest hit Beautifly. Some of May's points dropped. Roselia then used Stun Spore, but Beautifly eagerly shook it off. "That didn't seem to affect her at all!" Flaaffy said. Lazula nodded. "I'm impressed. May must have trained really hard for this." Beautifly used String Shot, but Roselia used Magical Leaf, both to cut through the string and hurt Beautifly. More points gone.

Beautifly tried Silver Wind next, but Roselia countered with Petal Dance. As the petals swirled toward Beautifly, May called out, "Dodge it!" Beautifly spun away, not getting hurt at all. Drew's points dropped a bit. With a time of 2:30 left, Roselia started gathering energy for a Solarbeam. "C'mon, May," Lazula murmured. "You gotta finish this before that Solarbeam charges up!" May used String Shot, but it was too late. An enormous beam of light came out of Roselia's roses and hit Beautifly hard. She hit the ground, fainted. The judges held up three red Xs, sealing their fate. Drew won, and May lost.

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"WAAAAH!" May sobbed as the group walked in, causing Lazula and Flaaffy to jump. "Aw, it's okay, May," Lazula comforted. "It was only your first try." "I know," May sniffed. "But I wanted to win so bad, and I worked so hard with Beautifly…" "You're making a big deal over nothing," Ash said, and Matthew hit the back of his head. "Ow! What?" "Ash, must you _always_ be so insensitive?" "What do you mean '_always_'?" Lazula rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess Flaaffy and I need to get moving. C'mon, Flaaffy." "Good luck, cuz!" Sora said. "Knock'em dead!" Marill said. Meowth nodded. "Yeah! What she said!" Matthew looked nervous about something. As Lazula walked past, he took a deep breath and grabbed her hand. "Drew doesn't stand a chance against you," he said softly. "You'll win." Lazula smiled. "Thanks dude. But maybe you're wrong." She winked. "It's not like you're _psychic _or anything like that."

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"Roselia, Magical Leaf!" "Use Light Screen, Flaaffy!" Both sides were off to a competitive start. The glowing green leaves bounced harmlessly off Flaaffy's Light Screen, causing Drew's points to drop. As it faded, Lazula called out, "Iron Tail!" Flaaffy's tail rammed into Roselia, sending her flying. Drew lost more points. "Again, Flaaffy!" "Dodge it!" The attack barely missed, and Lazula's points dropped. Lazula scowled. _"You'll pay for that, you egocentric moron." _**(2) **"Thunder Wave!" Blue electricity zapped Roselia, paralyzing her. Lazula smirked. Strangely, so did Drew. "Solarbeam!" Lazula gasped as Roselia's roses took in sunlight. "Oh, no! Quick Flaaffy, put your all into a Thunderbolt!" Flaaffy's entire body crackled with electricity. She let loose at the same time as Roselia fired the Solarbeam. The two attacks collided in midair, exploding. A huge smoke cloud covered the entire stage. "Flaaffy!" Lazula screamed coughing. The smoke cleared, and Roselia and Flaaffy were both up, looking exhausted. Suddenly, Roselia toppled over, out cold.

"That's it!" Vivian announced. "Lazula and Flaaffy have won our Pokemon Contest.!" Lazula stared blankly at Flaaffy. "We won?" A miracle smile lit up her face. "WE WON!" She knelt down and hugged Flaaffy, whispering, "Flaaffy, you did it. You're the best." "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Flaaffy answered. "You called the shots." Lazula let go and stood as the other coordinators milled out onto the stage. She spotted smiles on the faces of May and Robert. In the audience, Ash, Sora, Matthew, and the others were on their feet, cheering. Mr. Contesta walked over, holding a pink ribbon. "Congratulations, Lazula," he said, handing her the Ribbon. "You've earned it." "Thank you very much!" Lazula said, showing it too Flaaffy. Then, tears of joy in her eyes, she faced the audience and held up the Ribbon for all to see.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After saying good-bye to Ash and co., Lazula, Sora, Flaaffy, Matthew, Pikachu, and Meowth were facing the exit from Slateport. Matthew cleared his throat. "Congratulations, Lazula and Flaaffy. I can't think of anyone else who deserved that Ribbon more than you two." Lazula smiled. "Thanks, Matthew." "So, what are you going to do now?" Sora asked. "Probably drop Pikachu and Meowth off at Mt. Queyna." "So you guys _are _there then?" Lazula teased. Matthew nodded. "Don't worry. I'll be back in time for the Contest in Mauville City. I promise." Lazula hugged the two clones. "Thanks for watching, you guys." Pikachu ginned. "Don't mention it, buddy." "Say hello to my double for me!" Meowth added.

Lazula nodded and turned back to Matthew. "Hey, you got something on your face." He frowned. "I do? Where?" "Here." Lazula stood on tiptoes and gave Matthew a soft kiss on the cheek. Matthew's mouth opened and he stared at her, cheeks coloring. Lazula smiled. "Be back soon, 'kay?" Matthew nodded weakly and put his hands on Pikachu and Meowth. With one last smile, they teleported away. Lazula stared at he spot until Flaaffy's voice broke threw her head. "You so like him." Lazula whirled around, defensive. "No I don't! That was just a _friendly _kiss. You know, like he gave me." **(3) **"Sure it was," Flaaffy said, smirking. Lazula glowered and turned to Sora. "Okay, enough good-byes. Let's go to Mauville for my next win!"

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**(1)**I thought they only had _one _stage.

**(2)**Well, he was back then at least.

**(3)**Of course, we all know exactly how "friendly" that was. :)

Silverstar: Keep watching this space for something special. R&R!


	13. The Man in Green

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Hope you all enjoyed Giovanni's Revenge! For those of you that didn't read it, here are the spoilers:

1) Lazula's Treecko evolved into a Grovyle.

2) Jake and Matthew are now traveling with the group.

3) Lazula and Mewtwo kissed!

Those are the important ones, but they're no substitute for the real story! I'll be separating the speech in this chapter, so it'll be easier to understand. This chapter will introduce…um…well, I'll just let you find out!

**gaara-kun39: **Someone's in denial! Thanks for reviewing!

**Wolfen-Ways: **He better not! Just kidding. Thanks for reviewing!

**ReTerra2cool: **Thanks for reviewing!

**AnimeCrazy88:** Thanks for reviewing!

**Padme4000:** Thanks for reviewing!

**Medabot Freak: **I guess her spirit heard him.Thanks for reviewing!

**Feng Yue: **So, was itadventurous and suspenseful enough? Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any characters that have to do with Sora (i.e. his parents).

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Chapter Thirteen: The Man in Green

"Finally!" said Lazula, flopping down at a table in the Pokemon Center's cafeteria. "I'd thought we'd never get to Mauville City!"

"Tell me about it," Flaaffy grumbled. "Between one maniacal villain, one hyperactive Psychic Pokemon, an army of Pokemon clones, one evolution, one giant robot, four ancient spirit Pokemon, and the death and revival of my best friend, I was beginning to think we'd miss the Contest."

Sora laughed. "You make it sound so random…except for the death thing."

Lazula sighed. "Can we forget that please?"

"I agree," Matthew added. "I'm going to have nightmares for months."

"You can say that again," Flaaffy agreed.

Sora turned to his cousin. "So, who do you plan to use tomorrow?"

Lazula smiled. "Grovyle. He's been waiting _ages_ for his first Contest!"

"Good luck!" Sora said, taking a bite out of his dinner (all of them were having spaghetti, except for Matthew, who had a salad).

Matthew swallowed hard. "Ugh…crazy humans and their salad dressing. I need water." He stood and made his way to the counter.

"Wimp!" Lazula called after him. She made sure he wasn't looking, and then stole a bite. She coughed. "Blech…this _is _bad!"

"Um, excuse me."

Lazula looked down to see a small Cacnea. "Hi. Is something wrong?"

Cacnea nodded sadly. "I'm lost. Have you seen my Trainer?"

"What does he look like?" Sora asked.

"Cacnea, darling!"

"Oh…my…God," Flaaffy whispered.

The man running towards them looked nothing short of ridiculous. He had long, purple hair, teal eyes, and was wearing clothes that made him look like a Cacturne. He picked Cacnea up and kissed him, heedless of the spikes. "Oh Cacnea, where were you? Daddy was so worried!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Sora muttered to Lazula.** (1)**

The man turned to Lazula, beaming. "You saved my precious Cacnea! How can I ever thank you?"

Lazula smiled weakly. "Oh, uh…it was nothing really."

The man's smile grew wider. "You're so modest! Wait, where are my manners? I'm Harley. You know Cacnea already."

"I'm Lazula. This is my cousin Sora and my partner, Flaaffy." The later two nodded and smiled weakly.

Harley examined Flaaffy and gasped. "So well taken care of! I'd know a Contest Pokemon anywhere! You're a coordinator, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah," Lazula said slowly.

"Me too!" Harley frowned. "Are you sure I can't make it up to you? Because I…oh, of course!" Out of nowhere, a bright green cookie tin appeared in his hands. "Would you like to try a cookie? I made it myself."

Sora gave Lazula a "no" look, but Lazula gave him a "don't-worry-I'm-sure-it's-not-poisonous" look. "Sure, Harley, I'd love to." Lazula took a cookie from the tin and popped it in her mouth. She chewed slowly, contemplating the flavor.

She swallowed and grinned. "This is great! You're an excellent cook, Harley!"

Harley went starry-eyed. "You really think so?"

"Yeah. Those were delicious!"

"Oh, you!" Harley said, blushing. Suddenly, the clock struck eight. "Goodness, is it that time already? Lazula, I have to go. But you'll be in the Contest tomorrow, right?"

"Of course!"

"Wonderful! See you then!" Harley waved and walked off.

"Bye!" Cacnea called.

Lazula smiled and turned to see Matthew back at the table. She jumped. "Stop doing that! When did you get here?"

"Two seconds ago," Matthew said distractedly.

Lazula frowned. "What's up?"

"I don't like him," Matthew said simply.

"You don't like any new people," Lazula argued.

"Actually, Lazula," Flaaffy broke in. "I don't like him either." Sora nodded in agreement.

Lazula sighed. "Is this because you think he's gay?"

Silence from Flaaffy and Sora. Matthew shook his head. "No, it's…I'm not sure yet."

Lazula shrugged. "Well, whatever. Let's not worry about it now. Hey Matthew, you wanna go out and moon gaze a bit?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Matthew answered, smiling. The two got up and made for the door.

Outside, the cool air was refreshing. Lazula and Matthew walked a little ways away from the Pokemon Center to a grassy clearing. The full moon was clearly visible.

Lazula lay back on the grass. "A full moon…just like a year ago."

"Yes…" Suddenly, Matthew tensed and looked around.

"What's wrong now?" Lazula asked, sitting up.

"I thought I heard a click…"

"You're paranoid. You gotta learn to relax."

"If you say so…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harley swiped the picture from his camera. It showed a wonderful view of Lazula's face. He carefully pealed apart the sticker in the middle and pasted it into his journal. He pulled out a pencil and started writing information about her.

"_She looks like a tough opponent…" _he thought. He blushed and drew a little heart above Lazula's picture. _"…but she's so pretty!"_

A sudden laugh jerked him out of his thoughts. Harley peered out of the bushes to see Lazula and a guy he hadn't met laughing about something he couldn't hear. Jealousy burned in his veins.

"_How dare that guy hang out with her! I've gotta think of some way to have Lazula…I will, if it's the last think I do!"_

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**(1)** Me too.

Silverstar: I know, Harley exudes the aura of gayness, but this was too good to pass up. So, who will win Lazula's heart? R&R!

**If Harley (from Pokemon Season 8 and 9) scares you, copy and paste this into your profile.**


	14. Contest with a Cactus

The Coordinators

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Here's Chapter 14!

**Kikan-Moon-Fox-Girl: **Thanks for reviewing!

**ReTerra2cool: **I know how you feel, but I needed a rival for Mewtwo, and I love MayxDrew. Thanks for the e-mail!

**ArtemisWolfRose: **It's a shame you were too late. UPDATE YOUR STORY PLEASE! Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I think you should know this.

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Chapter Fourteen: Contest with a Cactus

"And now, for our next coordinator, Lazula Hamilton!" Vivian announced as Lazula walked on stage. The crowd cheered and called out her name. Lazula smiled at where Sora, Matthew, and Flaaffy were sitting. She tossed out a Pokeball, calling, "Show time, Grovyle!"

Grovyle appeared and smiled coolly at the audience. The crowd ooo-ed and aaah-ed. "Grovyle, Bullet Seed!" Lazula ordered. Grovyle let loose a barrage of golden seeds. He aimed above the stage, alternately tensing and relaxing his neck. By the time he finished, the seeds were arranged into a large, glowing star.

"Now Mega Drain!" Lazula called. Grovyle leapt up and latched himself onto one of the points of the star. Both he and the star began to glow green. The crowd cheered again.

"_And now for the finale!" _"Grovyle, use Leaf Blade!" The plants on Grovyle's arms lengthened into long, sharp blades. He slashed the star, causing it to break apart in numerous tiny explosions. The crowd went crazy. Lazula grinned and looked at the scoreboard. 10…10…9.5…29.5! Lazula's smile widened. She'd like to see anyone top that.

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"Yay, Lazula!" Flaaffy cheered. "What a show!"

"You can say that again!" Sora added. "I'll bet _that_ took practice!"

"Incoming," Matthew muttered as Harley walked on stage. "You might want to shield your eyes."

"Come out, my darling Cacnea!" Harley said, tossing a Pokeball. Canea came out and struck s pose. Harley ordered a Sandstorm; Canea spun around and around until a tornado of sand swirled onstage. Harley's next order was a Cotton Spore; soft, white puffs of cotton swirled around the sand. The finale was a Bullet Seed, destroying the entire tornado.

"I have to admit," Matthew muttered to Sora, "he's pretty good."

"Yeah," Sora replied. "But Lazula will knock him down a couple pegs. She's on a roll."

"I certainly hope your right," Matthew murmured, looking at the scoreboard. _"29.4…only one point behind Lazula."_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lazula whistled appreciatively as she looked at Harley's score. "Maybe I underestimated this guy," she thought out loud. "Note to self: don't judge a book by its cover."

"Yoo-hoo, Lazula, hon!"

Lazula winced as Harley rushed over to her. _"The guys were right; this guy's the poster child for creepiness."_ "Hi, Harley. Nice appeal."

"Oh, thank you, hon! You too!" Harley squealed. Suddenly, his cheeks turned red. "So, um…I was wondering…after the Contest, would you want to…"

Lazula didn't like where this was going. "Uh…hey, look! The finalists!" They turned to the screen to see Lazula leading, with Harley in second. Lazula smiled. "Guess I better get ready for my battle."

"Good luck, Lazula!" Harley said, a note of disappointment in his voice.

Lazula shuddered and left for the stage.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Time's up!" Vivian shouted. "Harley's our winner!"

"Hooray for me!" Harley squealed.

"Well, that was interesting," Matthew said weakly. "Lazula will have her work cut out for her in the final battle, that's for sure."

"Don't say that!" Flaaffy snapped. "Lazula's gonna win, just you wait!"

"I didn't say she wouldn't; I said she'll have her work cut out for her."

"Quiet!" Sora cut in. "Here comes Lazula."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lazula walked onstage, looking confident. Ignoring Vivian's usual speech, she looked at Harley, who was giving her a happy grin. Lazula fought the urge to roll her eyes as the battle began.

"Show time, Grovyle!"

"Let's go, Cacnea!"

The two Grass Pokemon came out, glaring at each other. Lazula's first order was a Bullet Seed. The seeds hit Cacnea hard, sending him flying backwards. Harley countered with Needle Arm, but Lazula thought fast; Grovyle used Quick Attack to dodge.

"Grovyle, Bullet Seed!"

"You use Bullet Seed too, darling!"

Both Pokemon spat seeds at each other. The two blasts met, and a small explosion enveloped the stage. When the smoke cleared, they were breathing heavily, but still standing.


End file.
